“Skundus looked at ‘im ez ef he didn’ understan’.  ‘Lawd, Marse Dugal’,’ sez ’e, ‘I doan’ know w’at youer talkin’ ‘bout.  I ain’ runned erway; I ain’ be’n nowhar.’

“‘Whar yer be’n fer de las’ mon’?’ said Marse Dugal’.  ’Tell me de truf, er I’ll hab yer tongue pulled out by de roots.  I’ll tar yer all ober yer en’ set yer on fiah.  I’ll—­I’ll’—­Marse Dugal’ went on at a tarrable rate, but eve’ybody knowed Marse Dugal’ bark uz wuss’n his bite.

“Skundus look lack ‘e wuz skeered mos’ ter def fer ter heah Marse Dugal’ gwine on dat erway, en’ he couldn’ ‘pear to un’erstan’ w’at Marse Dugal’ was talkin’ erbout.

“‘I didn’ mean no harm by sleep’n in de barn las’ night, Marse Dugal’,’ sez ’e, ‘en’ ef yer’ll let me off dis time, I won’ nebber do so no mo’.’

“Well, ter make a long story sho’t, Skundus said he had gone ter de barn dat Sunday atternoon befo’ de Monday w’en he could’t be foun’, fer ter hunt aigs, en’ wiles he wuz up dere de hay had ‘peared so sof en’ nice dat he had laid down fer take a little nap; dat it wuz mawnin’ w’en he woke en’ foun’ hisse’f all covered up whar de hay had fell over on ’im.  A hen had built a nes’ right on top un ‘im, en’ it had half-a-dozen aigs in it.  He said he hadn’t stop fer ter git no brekfus’, but had jes’ suck’ one or two er de aigs en’ hurried right straight out in de fiel’, fer he seed it wuz late en’ all de res’ er de ban’s wuz gone ter wuk.

“‘Youer a liar,’ said Marse Dugal’, ‘en’ de truf ain’t in yer.  Yer b’en run erway en’ hid in de swamp somewhar ernudder.’  But Skundus swo’ up en’ down dat he hadn’ b’en out’n dat barn, en’ fin’lly Marse Dugal’ went up ter de house en’ Skundus went on wid his wuk.

“Well, yer mought know dey wuz a great ’miration in de neighbo’hood.  Marse Dugal’ sont fer Skundus ter cum up ter de big house nex’ day, en’ Skundus went up ‘spect’n’ fer ter ketch forty.  But w’en he got dere, Marse Dugal’ had fetched up ole Doctor Leach fum down on Rockfish, ’en another young doctor fum town, en’ dey looked at Skundus’s eyes en’ felt of his wris’ en’ pulled out his tongue, en’ hit ‘im in de chis’, en’ put dey yeahs ter his side fer ter heah ‘is heart beat; en’ den dey up’n made Skundus tell how he felt w’en ‘e went ter sleep en’ how he felt w’en ‘e woke up.  Dey stayed ter dinner, en’ w’en dey got thoo’ talkin’ en’ eatin’ en’ drinkin’, dey tole Marse Dugal’ Skundus had had a catacornered fit, en’ had be’n in a trance fer fo’ weeks.  En’ w’en dey l’arned about Cindy, en’ how dis yer fit had come on gradg’ly atter Cindy went away, dey ‘lowed Marse Dugal’ ‘d better let Skundus en’ Cindy git married, er he’d be liable ter hab some mo’ er dem fits.  Fer Marse Dugal’ didn’ want no fittified niggers ef ’e could he’p it.

“Atter dat, Marse Dugal’ had Skundus up ter de house lots er times fer ter show ‘im off ter folks w’at come ter visit.  En’ bein’ as Cindy wuz back home, en’ she en’ Skundus wukked hahd, en’ he couldn’ ’ford fer ter take no chances on dem long trances, he ’lowed em ter got married soon ez cotton-pickin’ wuz ober, en’ gib ’em a cabin er dey own ter lib in down in de quarters.  En’ sho’ ‘nuff, dey didn’ had no trouble keep’n’ Skundus wak f’m dat time fo’th, fer Cindy turned out ter hab a temper of her own, en’ made Skundus walk a chalk-line.